


love is all that matters (faithful and forever)

by jfcdanvers



Category: Runaways (TV 2017), Supergirl (TV 2015), The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, CEO!Lexa, F/F, but not for the same purposes no, but they will have a common denominator, coughs lol, employee!clarke, hah, it's love fam, it's my dream au for all my fave ships, married supercorp, runaway!nico, superstar!karolina, they'RE ALL GOING ON A VACATION
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-17
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-10-30 07:41:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17824676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jfcdanvers/pseuds/jfcdanvers
Summary: They say that love is all that matters; that above all else, it’s the greatest thing one could ever learn.This story tells the journey of three couples going through different situations in life.A pair running away from expectations and judgments of society; a pair who’s bound by unfortunate circumstances; and another who find comfort in each other as they try to find themselves in this world.Obstacles block their way, and yet, in the end, love is all that definitely matters.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> oh god it’s me again. yes, yes, it’s me again with another fic, but listen. LISTEN. When ideas and inspiration strike, i write, okay? Because holy crap, yes, i want to do this. Anyway, here’s a DISCLAIMER.
> 
> This story is inspired by a movie that I saw back in high school. I couldn’t, for the life of me, remember the title, but i just remember three couples visiting the same island. They didn’t know each other, didn’t interact at all and had their own stories.
> 
> For this fic, however, I’m planning on curing that as much as possible. Hah. I just love these couples, okay? And in this AU I’m creating, I want these wonderful ladies to meet each other even though it’ll be brief because, as much as I want them to have one, big gay party, I still want to give them their own stories.
> 
> If anyone recognizes the similarities, feel free to drop in the movie’s title!!!!! Also, the title comes from Love is All That Matters by Eric Carmen. Love that song.
> 
> Unbeta’d because I’m still uncool for that. 
> 
> With that all said and done, let’s move on to the first chapter. Enjoy!

_**December 28, 2018** _

 

 

The night was dead outside.

 

Lena Luthor wasn’t sure how that was possible, given the fact that National City almost never slept. Though unlike New York City, it didn’t sleep because of a prosperous business.  _Crime_  was prosperous in National City, and it never slept because protesters were always causing a riot at the heart of the city, which was where her company was conveniently situated. Protesters blamed her for her Luthor roots; shamed her for coming to National City because of some claims that crime rates shot up after the establishment of her company; claimed that she was the one behind all the troubles of their beloved city; that no matter how hard the police worked to capture all these criminals, the crimes would never stop coming for as long as Lena Luthor was around.

 

Nobody wanted her around. Not her family, not her neighbours, not the entirety of whatever place she thought of residing in for the rest of her life.

 

Well, except for one person, she supposed.

 

Like clockwork, in came her wife, Kara Danvers, carrying a paper bag containing her favourite treat from Big Belly Burger. It’s almost twelve midnight. Everyone’s weary and tired and yearning to be reunited with their loved ones or their beds. Her wife should be tired; Lena was, and yet the former had the audacity to walk in with the biggest smile on her face, her usual sunny disposition as contagious as an airborne illness.

 

It felt like committing a crime to compare her positivity to a disease.

 

It was.

 

“I figured you’d still be here.”

 

Her wife’s voice stirred her back to awareness, and she smiled as she stood up to greet her wife halfway. She fell into her welcoming arms, melting into her and squeezing her solid frame as if that was enough to anchor her to her reality. And it was, if only for a short moment in time before she succumbed into her wicked thoughts.

 

“Well, as you know, a Luthor never sleeps. I have a deadline to meet when it comes to creating acts of rebellion against the goodness of this city, love.”

 

Kara rolled her eyes, playing the paper bag quietly on her pristine table, before turning to her and pulling her back in her embrace. Strong arms kept her locked around her waist, and Lena sighed in contentment as she leaned her against her wife’s chest.

 

“Good thing you’re not a Luthor anymore, huh?”

 

Lena snuggled further into the source of that familiar vibration against her ear, the one which never failed to lift her spirits when it was down in the dirtiest canals of her heart.

 

“I do remember making you a Danvers when we got married,” Kara chuckled softly, her voice conveying her fondness for the woman practically melting into her.

 

“People don’t seem to remember that only the building remains to be the only Luthor in this city.”

 

“People don’t matter, Lena.”

 

“They think I’m corrupting National City’s favourite reporter.”

 

“Well, their favourite reporter is the wife of one Lena  _Danvers_ , and she’s very proud to have that Lena in her life. Nothing could ever keep her away from Kara Danvers, the personification of the sun and the human version of a golden retriever.”

 

Lena laughed softly, fleetingly, eyes closed loosely. Not like how they’re usually shut so tight when Lena was trying to keep the voices in her head from taking over her other thoughts. And Kara – she held Lena like her life depended on it, and maybe it did; because a life without Lena Danvers in her arms was a life she didn’t want to live in.

 

“You’re so good,” Kara whispered into her hair as one hand began to caress the length of her spine over and over again, slowly and lovingly, like she was holding a wounded bird in her hands. “ _So, so_  good, Lena, and I will never stop trying to make you see just how good and how wonderful you are. I will spend the rest of my life proving to you how great you are.” She pulled away, and Lena almost whimpered at the distance, but Kara reassured her with a soft hush, cupping her cheeks so gentle blue could meet melancholic green. “I will spend the rest of my life proving to you how much I love you, Lena.” She leaned in, pressing the softest kiss on Lena’s lips, before doing the same on her forehead. Lena leaned into her touch, breathing softly, albeit heavily, as she tried to keep her tears at bay. “I love you, Lena. Always.”

 

And Lena, with her shaky voice and teary cheeks, tried her best to form a smile as she whispered, “I love you, too. Forever.”

 

 

***

 

“Miss Woods?”

 

Lexa thought back to when she was the one standing in front of a table occupied by snobby businessmen, who thought they were better than everyone else in the room – especially a young woman who was trying to make a name for herself.

 

“Miss Woods, are you alright?”

 

But that was a long time ago. Today, she was seated at the very center of the table. She was the one listening to people drone about the current status of the company, the progress of more than one shelter for refugees being built under the Trikru Corporation with the initiative of Alexandria Woods.

 

These things she should be paying attention to, and yet her mind was far away, lost in the swirling revelation that her father, the one who left her behind with nothing but a recommendation letter for her to be able to find employment in Trikru Corp. once she’s of age, had just died yesterday.

 

“Miss Woods!”

 

Her eyes snapped open, and only then that she realized that everyone’s already staring at her; some of them wondering if she was okay, most of them simply annoyed by her lack of care.

 

For once, she admitted that it’s her fault and not because the presentation before her was as exciting as a man eating candy for the first time.

 

Clenching her jaws, she shut her eyes for a few seconds and gave herself some time to recover. It didn’t take long, and once again, she was Lexa Woods, current CEO of Trikru Corporation in Washington, D.C., standing tall and proud before her subordinates.

 

“I apologize for my unprofessionalism today,  _kru_ , but it seems like the  _news_  from yesterday had affected me more than I expected it to.”

 

In an instant, everybody was looking at her with sympathy in their eyes, and she hated it. She didn’t know her father. She didn’t grow up with him by her side. She didn’t know the man whose name resounded so loudly in the room without needing to be mentioned. She only had Indra, Gustus, and Anya. They were her family.

 

Not the man who’s, apparently, now buried six feet under the ground.

 

Not Alexander Woods II.

 

“With that said, I’d like to have a hard copy of your presentation, Mr. Frost.” The aforementioned man straightened, nodding reassuringly as he gripped the remote in his hand.

 

“I’ll make sure to read everything without being distracted. Once again, I apologize for my behaviour today.”

 

Everyone gave her a nod of acknowledgment, still with that look of sympathy in their eyes, and  _still,_ she hated it.

 

With a final nod of her head, she turned and left the conference room, leaving behind her disappointment in herself in that cold, cold room.

 

***

 

“Oh, shit.  _Shit, shit, shit, shit!_ ” Clarke hissed quietly as she hastened to close all unnecessary windows on her desktop computer. People around her did the same, varying between hiding their snacks under their desks to saying goodbye to whoever’s in the phone with them because  _their boss was back and she shouldn’t be back yet, but she was._

 

The conference ended a little too early. An hour too early. Maybe even two, because a conference with Alexandria Woods usually ended for more than hour past its expected end. They should have plenty of time to relax while their boss was inside the conference room, and yet here they were, rushing to appear busy and productive as the CEO of Trikru Corp. passed by their cubicles.

 

Everyone tried to keep their own things. Some of them went back to encoding whatever was needed to be encoded. Others were  _finally_  contacting pertinent people who needed updates or new information regarding recent changes in schedule and the like.

 

Clarke, for her part, was busy tinkering with her not-really-faulty printer.  _Tinkering_. Tinkering wasn’t her role. That was Raven’s role down at the computer technicians’ lair.

 

Yet, she must have been doing a damn good job at pretending to have a problem with her printer because, as the CEO passed by her aisle, she noticed Clarke’s  _predicament_  and stopped to regard her with a raised brow.

 

Clarke’s hands froze above one of the buttons on the printer, lips pressing tightly as she swallowed thickly.

 

“What’s wrong with the printer?” The young CEO asked, facing her completely this time, her cubicle’s wall serving to be the only barrier keeping the CEO from completely catching her red-handed.

 

“U-Um,” Clarke glanced down at the perfectly-functioning printer, then back at the CEO. “It wasn’t working, but uh,” she cleared her throat, pressing the monochrome button to start scanning. As expected, the machine eventually spat out a warm document from its mouth. Fresh from the oven, as what Raven would say. “It’s working now.”

 

Lexa blinked languidly at the blonde woman, then nodded her head before turning away to leave.

 

If she noticed that the paper was completely blank, then Clarke was  _very_  grateful for her choice not to point it out.

 

***

 

“I need to get away.”

 

Leslie Dean looked up from her tablet with an eyebrow cocked, head tilting by a fraction to the side. “Excuse me?”

 

It was the same look that would have made her shrink back into herself and say, “ _Nothing_.” but she was far away from saying nothing right now. She was tired.

 

She’s  _exhausted_  from standing in front of the blinding light; of cameras flashing before her eyes; of people screaming her name from every direction she could think of.

 

She’s tired of hearing how great and contagious her smile was; how people could instantly feel lighter and happier.

 

She’s tired of smiling.

 

She’s tired of fame and she’s tired of Leslie Dean as her manager.

 

Karolina Dean wanted her mother back.

 

She wanted the woman who tucked her in bed when she was but a child. She wanted the woman who made her cookies and read her stories at any time of the day when she asked for one. She wanted the woman who nurtured her into the  _nice_ , young lady she was at the present time.

 

“I need a break from showbiz,” she murmured, looking down at her fingers.

 

She  _needed_  her mother back.

 

However, looking at Leslie Dean now, as she placed her tablet down and placed her hands over her crossed knees, Karolina knew that wishing for her mother to step down from being her manager was just wishful thinking.

 

Leslie Dean’s too far down the managerial role to ever come back up for air again.

 

“I get that you’re tired, sweetie,” Leslie smiled, a  _false_  one – Karolina’s sure. “But, you still have two more interviews before you can call it a day. After those interviews, you can have all the time that you need to rest. It’s just the exhaustion getting to your head.” Picking up her tablet again, she tapped on a few things and sighed softly. “Maybe spend a night at the spa; get a massage and unwind. Your head will be clearer after a relaxing night, honey.”

 

Karolina looked at her mother’s tablet,  _glared_  at it because everything about that tablet had somehow replaced her as the most treasured thing in her mother’s life.

 

Sighing heavily, Karolina grabbed her baseball cap – placed conveniently on the headrest of the passenger seat in front of her – and shoved it over her head. Fortunately for her, they were at a red light, so escaping the car made it easier than it should be. She shoved the door open and climbed out of the car as fast as she could, slamming it shut before shoving her hands into her jacket’s pockets.

 

“Karolina!”

 

She ignored her mother’s call, confident that it wouldn’t come for another time, and continued jogging down the sidewalk. Her mother knew that it would pique people’s attention, and the last thing she needed was to have people think that her  _client_  was running away from her or have her client be noticed and cause a stampede in the streets of L.A.

 

Besides, her tablet’s inside the car. Karolina’s sure her mother would miss her tablet way too much to get out of the car and chase after her daughter.

 

She turned one corner and found herself entering a 24/7 convenience store. It was scarce of customers. One sad-looking man nursed a warm cup of coffee at one of the tables.

Aside from him, there’s Karolina and an Asian woman standing behind the counter, looking bored as hell while scrolling down her phone.

 

Not wanting to stay too long, afraid that people might pick up on her lackluster disguise, Karolina picked up a bottle of Gatorade from one of the coolers and went to the cashier to pay for it. With nothing but a baseball cap on, she’s sure that the woman would recognize her, so she prepared herself for the inevitable squeal or gasp and request for a photograph.

 

But it didn’t come.

 

After placing her Gatorade on the cold counter, the shorter woman punched it in, declared the amount to be paid, and held the bottle out for Karolina to take.

 

The superstar was still a little... surprised.                                                        

 

“Aren’t you going to put it in a paper bag or... something?” Karolina asked as she gave her credit card, still awestruck by the woman’s lack of reaction.

 

“Why? It’s just one bottle,” the woman shrugged and shoved the bottle in her hands, before taking her card and swiping it into the register. “You can hold it just fine.”

 

That, indeed, she could do just fine.

 

After taking the card back, she slowly,  _very slowly_  exited the store – still waiting for a call or something from the cashier – yet nothing came.

 

 _Nothing_.

 

But, she didn’t miss the soft muttering from those black-painted lips as she stepped out of the stores.

 

“ _Celebrities_.”

 

***

 

“Celebrities,” Nico rolled her eyes as she placed her phone down on the counter. Well, that might just fall under the most interesting event of her shift. It had been surprisingly quiet. Only a few people trickling in to buy refreshments; not even a single group of college students stopping by for a late dinner or the occasional couple buying contraceptives at one in the morning to avoid any possibilities of meeting a friend or acquaintance.

 

Her phone buzzed again and all she wanted was to throw it across the store, but she knew better than to dispose of the only phone she could afford with her meager salary.

 

Granted, she could afford a better one if she’d just  _suck it up and choose to take over the company one day_ , but no.  _Fuck_ , no.

 

The device buzzed again and Nico sighed, knowing that she couldn’t escape it for another minute.

 

 _Nico, please. Your mother’s getting worried_.  _You’re not getting any younger. You still haven’t declared a major. Nico, all your mother wants is to give you a good life._

 

She stared at the screen for a long, quiet minute, then placed the device back down on the counter as gently as she could.

 

She wasn’t going to get angry. No. She wasn’t going to let her emotions get the best of her. Not again.

 

Sighing quietly, she grabbed the cloth under the counter and headed over to the table once occupied by the melancholic man. Might as well clean the entire store to have something to do.

 

*** 

 

Different times, different days, different situations and circumstances – but a day after all, that occurred  _yesterday_ , a singular advertisement played on electronic billboards in three, different places.

 

***

 

Lena used to hate that billboard across her office. It was distractive, and she had to make minor changes in her room to make sure that no one would see the abomination behind her back.

 

It was one afternoon, she’s finally done with all her paperwork and ready to call it a day with her wife when she deactivated the frosting mechanism of her windows and saw an advertisement playing before her eyes.

 

***

 

The sun was up, and not one face was wearing a frown.

 

All of them were smiling, laughing and playing by the beach.

 

Karolina slowed down as she watched the video being played in one of the flat screen T.V.s displayed in an appliance store. She knew it wasn’t safe to stay in the streets for longer than a second, but she couldn’t seem to keep her eyes off of the brilliant color of the ocean.

 

***

 

The reason for its popularity was its sparkling sand bar as if millions of diamonds had been scattered all over the place. Tourists marvel at them and scientists wonder just what kind of phenomenon was occurring for it to happen.

 

But it wasn’t just that.

 

Lexa read the words currently being flashed on the screen.

 

_Meet the locals, known to have the brightest smiles and the kindest of hearts. It will surely make your stay so much better than the last._

 

Lexa hummed.

 

Was it just her or that sounded  _almost_ wrong?

 

***

 

And yet, three pairs of eyes couldn’t seem to stop watching as the video finally ended after showing testimonies of happy and satisfied tourists. It faded into black after flashing the name of the infamous tourist spot.

 

_Argon Island._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no karolina in this chapter, but that's only because she's the beginning of the next chapter, which will tell the beginning of our fave girls' journey to argon island. 
> 
> as always, unbeta'd. you'll find me on tumblr @jfcdanvers
> 
> enjoy!! :)

**The night of December 29, 2018**

 

 

Lena was worried.

 

 _Stressed_ , even.

 

She knew that the chances of her wife opposing her proposal were little to none, but that was only because Kara was her wife. Surely, Kara would indulge her need to get away from all the chaos of their daily life in National City. Kara had never been shy about insisting that she needed a break every now and then; yet, as she’s browsing through possible accommodations for this vacation that she  _decided_  without hearing her wife’s opinion first, she couldn’t help but worry.

 

Kara was her wife, yes; but Kara was also National City’s favourite reporter –  an advocate of honest journalism. She also happened to be very dedicated in seeking the truth day and night, rain or shine. To take her away from the place she loved protecting and supporting with her affinity for words would be a crime Lena would rather not commit.

 

Lena felt the beginnings of another headache and scrunched her eyes tight as a hand flew up to apply pressure on her temple. It lingered longer than it usually did, but she forced her eyes open and exhaled heavily, jaws clenching so tightly she feared the state of her teeth. She knew she should relax, but she couldn’t. If she did, she might make a mess of her desk. Her nausea had gotten worse over the past few days, and the medicine prescribed by the doctor was proving to be ineffective.

 

Still, she swallowed one and waited for the pain to temporarily go away. At least, just for a few minutes while her wife was around, she needed to look like she’s actually eager to go on this vacation – which, she was, but it’s hard to look enthusiastic when her head felt like it was seconds away from cracking open.

 

“Usually, I’d be scolding you right now for not eating dinner yet,” Kara said as she came through the door, carrying two paper bags in one hand. “And I’m sure you haven’t, so don’t think that I’m letting you off easily.” She gave Lena  _that_  look and shook her head as Lena replied with nothing more than a fond laugh. “ _But_ , I heard about this new restaurant a few blocks away from here and they have really good reviews. They serve potstickers  _with_  rice! How crazy is that?”

 

“Great. Potstickers with rice – because potstickers don’t have a lot of calories already, right?”

 

“They don’t,” Kara shrugged as she put the paper bags on her desk,  arranging pertinent papers and folders before pushing them to the side. “It’s just fifteen calories, at most.”

 

“You eat  _fried_  potstickers, babe.  _Chicken_  potstickers. Last time I heard, it has 160 calories.”

 

“I know, which is why, I bought  _steamed_  potstickers, instead.” She pulled out the container inside one paper bag and grinned. “And no chicken. All vegetables, steamed,  _very_  little oil. It shouldn’t go past thirty calories.”

 

Lena resigned to her potsticker fate with a sigh, sinking down into her chair as she reached for a pair of chopsticks. She helped her wife with unboxing the rice, but while doing so, she couldn’t help but notice the sudden silence on the other side of her table.

 

Looking up with a quirked brow, Lena tilted her head and smiled with narrowed eyes. “Kara?”

 

Kara hummed inquisitively, looking up with those puppy eyes, so blue and deep and wide, brimming with a light sheen of tears. Her shoulders were tense and almost vibrating with a possible need to keep upright where she was sitting. Lena felt a pang of guilt in her chest and took in a deep breath, wanting nothing more than to get up from her seat and comfort her wife to the best that she could.

 

Which was exactly what she did.

 

She placed her unseparated chopsticks back on her desk and got up from her chair, walking around it as fast as she could to get to her wife. The last thing she needed was for Kara to think that she was leaving.

 

She was not leaving.  _Never_. Not for as long as she could help it.

 

“Kara.” She was gentle and almost hesitant when she lowered herself on her wife’s lap. For the hundredth time that day, she admonished herself for wearing a tight skirt. Oh, what she would do to straddle her wife and get as close as she possibly could. Settling with sitting sideways, she wrapped her arms around her wife’s neck and leaned in to plant a soft kiss on the tip of Kara’s nose, grinning when it elicited a soft giggle from the blonde reporter.

 

Kara’s lips were her next target. She looked into her baby blue eyes, and smiled softly, before leaning down and claiming her lips with a gentle touch of her own – intending to comfort than anything else. She didn’t pull away until she felt her wife’s body completely relax in her hold, and it’s only with a quiet sigh from Kara that she stopped and pressed her forehead against hers.

 

“I’m not upset, baby,” she whispered, finding those blue eyes with her green ones. “It’s just… It’s just been a long day, okay? I swear, potstickers and…” she chanced a brief glance at the food on her desk, chuckling softly as she turned back to her wife. “…rice is fine.”

 

“Are you sure?” Kara asked as she tucked some stray hair behind Lena’s ear, allowing her fingers to slide along the line of her jaw. “I can go out and get something more to your liking. I promise I won’t be mad.”

 

“No,” Lena shook her head, grinning. “But you’ll be pouting the entire time. I promise, Kara, it’s fine. I’d eat anything with you.”

 

“Except greasy food.”

 

Lena nodded, laughing. “Except grease, yes.”

 

“Okay.” Kara sighed, her eyes lowering down to Lena’s red-painted ones. Without warning, she moved in to kiss her once more, tracing Lena’s plump, lower lip with the tip of her tongue. She smiled against her wife’s lips after hearing the small gasp she elicited from Lena. She chased the sound and pressed harder into Lena’s mouth, tilting her head to better fit their lips, and moaning softly when Lena showed no hesitation in reciprocating her rapidly deepening kiss.

 

However, she felt a hand against her chest, felt it pushing her gently, and immediately, she pulled away and looked at Lena in confusion and worry.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

Lena looked so beautiful with her cheeks all flushed, a pretty shade of pink scattered on her cheeks, extending up to the tips of her ears. She laughed quietly, shaking her head as she cupped Kara’s face in her hands.

 

“I’m  _great_ , baby,” she whispered. “I just remembered something.”

 

“What is it?”

 

Lena seemed to hesitate for a little bit, before turning on her lap and pulling her tablet closer to them. She swiped and tapped a few times, and eventually showed a photo of Argon Island to Kara. She watched Kara’s expression and sighed softly in relief when it remained open and patient.

 

“I… I bought tickets for the two of us,” she began and waited for Kara to say anything. When the latter remained quiet, she continued, “Argon Island. It’s all the craze right now. There will be a brilliant fireworks display on the first of 2019, open to everyone who will be there to join the locals to welcome the New Year.”

 

Kara remained quiet, as if waiting for her to say more, so she did. “And… I figured, we haven’t tried celebrating New Years away from our family. I love celebrating with them, of course, but— I wanted to… I want to try it, Kara. Just you and I, on a not-so-little island, watching the night light up with those colourful explosions.” She pressed her lips tightly and exhaled quietly when she felt Kara rubbing her back comfortingly. “Everything’s been prepared. Well, I haven’t confirmed that luxurious villa but… all that’s left for you is to say yes, Kara.”

Kara’s been quiet for quite some time now, and Lena was starting to feel anxious. She began fidgeting with her fingers, felt them shaking and brushing against Kara’s nape. Another ten seconds passed, Kara was still quiet. Lena was ready to stand up and go back to her swivel chair, her metaphorical throne, and cancel everything.

 

But she felt Kara’s arms tighten around her waist and, after some quiet coaxing from Kara, finally looked up while biting her lip.

 

“Lena,” Kara sighed,  _whispered_  against her lips. “How could I ever say no to you?”

 

“But… what about your job?” Lena asked though she knew she was already hoping for an answer in favour of her. “Journalism never sleeps, right?”

 

Kara laughed softly. “Indeed, but just because I’m leaving National City for a bit, doesn’t mean that it’ll fall asleep in my absence, love.” She paused long enough to kiss Lena again. “I’ll talk to James, tell him that he’ll have to find someone else to handle my segment first while I’m away.” She paused to kiss her again, lingering a little longer this time until she felt Lena giggling against her lips when she nibbled on the lower one. “You will always be my priority, Lena. Always.”

 

Lena Luthor didn’t know what love was like; how it felt to love and to be loved. She never thought she ever deserved to be loved, really, not when she knew that she could never be good enough.

 

However, Lena Danvers did and, as she melted into her wife’s embrace and made a mental note to send a confirmation to the villa’s owner, decided to worry about other pressing matters for another time.

 

//

 

Kara was fast asleep on their bed when Lena finally fished her abandoned phone out of her purse. Holding the device securely in her hand, she pulled her robe tighter around her body and stepped into the balcony. She didn’t need to look at her phone as she drew a familiar pattern on the screen of her still-dark phone, which prompted it to call a contact number that was starting to overtake her investor’s names.

 

“Mrs. Danvers,” she heard the voice greet her, and she breathed out slowly, evenly. “Is everything all right?”

 

“Not quite,” Lena grimly replied. “The pills are not working as well as they used to, and I doubt that increasing the dosage once again would be legal  _and_  healthy.”

 

“That is true,” the voice grumbled, then breathed out a soft sigh. “Well, I’ll need to see you again. We’ll need another blood test and a CT-scan, just to make sure. These... signs you’re showing, Mrs. Danvers. I doubt that they’re just symptoms of migraine. Of course, it is not definite, but just to make sure, I’d really like to administer more tests.”

 

Lena clenched her jaw. She knew what the doctor implied, but she refused to let it erase the good night that she had with her wife. “Well, I am set to leave for a vacation with my wife tomorrow afternoon. Will you be available tomorrow morning?”

 

“I—” Lena heard some shuffling and another sigh. “I was planning on opening at noon, but I can make an exception for you in the morning. How does six in the morning sound?”

 

“That’s fine,” Lena replied quietly, then stiffened slightly as she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist. When had her wife joined her at the balcony?

 

She turned to look at Kara and tried so hard to give her a neutral smile when she mouthed, asking about who she’s talking to. Lena shook her head gingerly and leaned in to press a soft kiss on Kara’s lips. On the other line, she heard the doctor rambling about appointments.

 

“—after that, I’ll have to prescribe you something else if the pills aren’t as effective anymore.”

 

“Lovely,” she chuckled quietly when Kara’s arms tightened further. “Well then, have a good evening.”

 

As the call was cut, Lena turned in her wife’s arms and wrapped her arms around Kara’s neck. Her wife nuzzled the side of her head as Lena laid it on her shoulder.

 

“Who was that?”

 

“Dr. Dukesom.”

 

“Hm? Why did he call?”

 

“I was just calling him to move my regular check-up on the third of January. I forgot to inform him that we’re going on a vacation tomorrow.”

 

Kara hummed, already accepting Lena’s answer. Not that she had any reason to doubt Lena.

 

“Is it settled, then? Everything okay with the appointment?”

 

Lena smiled, allowing her fingers to play with the little hairs on Kara’s nape. “Everything’s all set.”

 

“Well, then.” Kara chuckled as she bent down and wrapped her arms around the back of Lena’s legs, eliciting a burst of equally delighted laughter from the dark-haired woman. “Back to bed.”

 

 

***

 

“Well, you need to go.”

 

Lexa allowed her eyes to flutter closed as she tried not to rile her irritation once more. She knew Anya was just trying to help; knew that Anya was speaking the truth. She was still clueless as to why she had to, but someone had contacted her the other day, claiming to be her step-sister and rambling about her father’s wishes of having her there during his funeral.

 

Why it mattered, Lexa had no idea. It wasn’t like he’d  _know_ , really. He was dead. It shouldn’t matter, anymore. Just have his  _family_  bury him six feet under the ground already for Christ’s sake. Get everything over and done with. Why involve her? Why drag her into his mess?

 

Lexa exhaled heavily as she peered down at the paper on her desk, reminding her of the reason why she had to leave the company for a few days and spend it in some island to see a casket get swallowed by the ground.

 

“I don’t know why I have to,” Lexa grumbled and swiped the paper to the side, watching it as it fluttered down to the floor. “Why does it matter?”

 

Anya shrugged. “You’ll never know until you go there, Lexa.”

 

“I never knew the man, Anya. My presence hardly matters in his funeral.”

 

“Except, for some odd reason, it does. Lexa, I understand that it’s ...  _weird_ —”

 

“An understatement,” Lexa grumbled.

 

“— but you should go. If not for the sake of that man’s burial, then for  _your_  own sake. Take a break. Unwind for a few days and come back refreshed and reenergized. God knows you need it.” Anya pursed her lips. “You’ve been working for this company for who knows how long. You deserve to rest.”

 

But Lexa was as stubborn as a mule. Even if a part of her knew that Anya was right, she refused to think that rest was necessary. She didn’t need a rest. She needed to make sure that the company wouldn’t fall apart under her command.

 

She looked up and watched as her best friend seemed to ponder over something, becoming silent for a few, nervous seconds. After sighing heavily, the blonde woman looked up at Lexa with a look of determination in her eyes. “You can have my reservation. I’ll inform the hotel manager that you’ll be occupying the room, instead.”

 

Lexa frowned and shook her head. “Anya, no. You and your girlfriend have been planning on this for a long time. Don’t be stupid. I can buy my own ticket and get my own accommodation.”

 

Anya waved a hand dismissively. “Listen, we can just go to some other island. Argon wasn’t our first choice, anyway.”

 

Lexa shook her head once more. “No. I’ll get my own. Don’t be stupid, Anya. Think about what she will say.”

 

“She’ll understand my decision,” she winced, however. “Granted, she’ll be pissed, but I know  _many_  ways to calm her down, and I’ll make it up to her.”

 

Lexa stared at Anya in silence, before blinking languidly and lowering her gaze to her lap. There were many reasons why she should insist on getting her own private jet reservation and her own accommodation. First of all, it was embarrassing to think that she’s taking away her best friend’s chance to go to the island with her girlfriend. She’d known about their plan for quite some time and knew how Anya made sure that they’d be getting there on a private jet – a long-time wish of her girlfriend which she found written in one of her journals. Totally by accident, of course.

 

She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head gingerly. The thing with Anya was, once she’s obviously made up her mind about something, there was no arguing with her.

 

She sighed again. “Right, well, spare me the details.”

 

Anya smirked triumphantly. “Of course.”

 

 

// Meanwhile //

 

“Clarke, seriously, just accept my offer!”

 

“Are you kidding me? Why would I go to Argon Island with your girlfriend?” Clarke rolled her eyes, busying herself with arranging files and names alphabetically –  _anything_  to block out Raven’s ridiculous  _offer_.

 

“Babe, you’re practically diving into your desk face first. You should go on vacation!”

 

“This job rarely ever tires me out, Raven. All I do is file shit and talk on the phone. What  _exhausts_  me is painting, okay? And it’s not even a bad kind of exhaustion. I’m fine.”

 

“You’re still using that word and so my point stands:  _you need a vacation_.”

 

Clarke looked at her and spoke drily. “Be honest with me, Raven. You found a better place for a year-end vacation, and so you’re dumping your reservation on me. Is that it?”

 

Raven cleared her throat, cheeks flushing red and mouth opening and closing, sputtering for a lie or two until she eventually decided to yield. “Well—okay, fine, yes. I found a better place. Not a lot of people know of it yet, but it’s got enough people visiting it to avoid getting possibly killed by a serial killer lost on the island or something.  _Please_ , I really want to spend a few days with her on an  _almost_  deserted island. It’s one of the things in my bucket list, Clarke.” Raven grinned wickedly. “Imagine all the  _naughty_  things we could do in a tent with less than ten people around us.”

 

“God, Raven, spare me your kinks.” Clarke gagged and shuddered. “Besides, what will your girlfriend say, hm? What about the money she spent on making your Argon getaway possible?” She raised an eyebrow. “And, you’re leaving  _tomorrow_. How are you going to make late arrangements for that trip?” 

 

“... I’ll deal with it later when we talk. Anyway,” the hesitant look on Raven’s face turned into a smug one. “—you’re forgetting who you’re talking to. One of my classmates back in high school currently works at NASA and, well, he owed me one, so I pulled strings... also known as  _him_. I’ll spare you the details for what happened next.”

 

“... You realize that sounds really wrong to an outsider’s ears.”

 

Raven glared to the side at no one in particular. “Well, they better mind their own business, then.”

 

Clarke sighed and went back to her work.

 

“So?” Raven asked again, poking her arm. She clicked her tongue and swatted at her hand. “You going to accept or not?”

 

“I don’t want to sleep in a room with your girlfriend, Raven.”

 

“You won’t have to. Trust me. Everything will be fine.” Raven grinned. “A car will fetch you tomorrow and bring you to the airport. Seven o’clock sharp.”

 

“Whatever, Raven.”

 

//

 

“What do you mean you gave Clarke your reservation?”

 

“Babe, please, just listen to me, okay? Mark knows someone who owns this semi-private island not so far away from Argon. Its maximum capacity is fifty people, and Mark said that not a lot of people are visiting for New Years because of the hype on Argon Island. Please, please, please, I really want to stay there. If you really want to go to Argon, we can rent a speed boat or something to visit when we get there.”

 

...

 

...

 

“Well, I need to tell you something, too.”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Don’t be mad.”

 

“Babe, I just told you that I gave Clarke my reservation.  I should be the one saying that.”

 

“I gave Lexa mine.”

 

...

 

...

 

“WHAT?”

 

“Yeah—”

 

“OH MY GOD, OUR BOSS AND CLARKE IN THE ROOM—”

 

“Mhm.”

 

“AND THE PRIVATE JET—“

 

“Yes, that, too—wait ,how did you know about that?”

 

“Babe, you’re not as subtle as you think you are. But, holy shit, Ms. Woods and Clarke—”

 

“It should be fine—”

 

“Does Ms. Woods know?”

 

“About what?”

 

“That she’s gonna be sharing a room with Clarke?”

 

“Obviously, not. I assumed that you wouldn’t do that, and so I told her that I’ll just tell the hotel manager that she’ll be the only one staying there.”

 

“Oh, my God.”

 

“... I should probably inform Lexa—”

 

“Babe, no. Let it be.”

 

“... What? Raven—”

 

“Shhh. This is great. Just let things be.”

 

“Lexa might fire me.”

 

“She doesn’t have the right.”

 

“She practically does.”

 

“Shhh. Everything will be fine, babe. Now kiss me. We’re geniuses.”

 

“... Hm.”

 

***

 

_“I’m sorry that it happened. I wish I could turn back time, Nico, but I can’t. It’s not within my power to—”_

 

Nico rolled her eyes and slammed her phone back on her pillow. She was tired of hearing his excuses and, frankly, she didn’t want to hear his voice ever again.

 

It’d been two months since she last saw Alex; two months since she threw his things at his face and screamed at him to get out of her apartment; two months since she found out that he’d been receiving money from one of her parents’ people to help with their daily expenses. Alex knew about how she felt with getting help from her parents; knew that she  _refused_  to receive anything because she wanted to prove her worth, that she could survive without the help of her family.

 

She’d once been proud of being a Minoru. Her parents had once been supportive of her passion for the Arts, but that was only until they found that she was considering having it as a career rather than just a hobby.

 

Her mother withdrew her from her lessons; convinced schools not to accept her in majors that so much as touched 80% of the Arts. Even thinking about it made Nico seethe, and not long after, she was screaming and throwing her pillow against the wall, breathing heavily through her mouth as she covered her face with her hands.

 

God, she needed to get away. Where was Amy when she needed her?

 

Right. In Argon Island, living her life while managing one of their hotels.

 

She took her phone reluctantly, swiping to open her email account, and there she saw the  _letter_  – an open invitation for her to welcome the New Year in Argon Island with her sister. Under other circumstances, Nico wouldn’t hesitate at all to accept it. God knows she needed some time away from California – away from the pressure of her parents and ... well,  _him_.

 

She pressed the device against her chest, ignoring Alex’s voice inside her head as it warned her not to put her phone against her body because of radiation and whatnot.

 

Amy loved her. Right?

 

She wouldn’t rat her out, would she? If she accepted Amy’s offer, she’d arrive to see Amy, and  _only_  Amy, waiting for her at the hotel, right?

 

God, she hoped that she was right.

 

Still hesitating, she pressed the reply button and began typing.

 

_Amy, I don’t want them to know._

 

Nico waited for two excruciating minutes of silence, going over possible responses from Amy, then closed her eyes when she felt her phone vibrate in her hands.

 

Slowly, very slowly, she opened her phone and read Amy’s reply.

 

 _Done_.  _See you, Nico_.

 

Nico smiled, relieved.

_You too, Amy._

**Author's Note:**

> As always: kudos and comments are highly appreciated. Let me know what you think!
> 
> you can scream at me for poor life choices @jfcdanvers on tumblr


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